"The more important deterrent, quite frankly, is that player will be removed from the game, and no player wants to miss time on game day," NFL vice president of football operations Merton Hanks told USA Today's Tom Pelissero on Wednesday. "Can you imagine having a player that you've designed a play for not in the game because he's chosen not to adhere to the padding options that every other player has to adhere to?"

Being removed from the game doesn't mean ejection. Rather, the player will be taken off the field until he is equipped with the proper gear, similar to if he ran on the field without a helmet or shoulder pads.

The evolution of the NFL:
Take a look at how the NFL has evolved from its humble roots, and the efforts being made to ensure it continues to grow.

"I didn't always wear them," Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald told Pelissero. "But I would take thigh contusions or hip pointers or knee bruises, and I just started wearing them to protect those injuries. This is all about adjustments. They change the rule, we find the way to adjust and continue to go on."

The rule is another example of the NFL trying to make the game safer any way it can. Even if some players hate the pads, they'll hate missing plays even more.